2013 Le Mans MotoGP Race Result: Dominant Victory In Wet Main Event

Dani Pedrosa has taken an authoritative victory at the Le Mans Grand Prix, finishing over five seconds ahead of his nearest rival. Pedrosa managed to break away in the second half of the difficult wet race and left Andrea Dovizioso to fight with Cal Crutchlow for second place. A battered, bruised and very brave Crutchlow ended the race in second place, achieving his best MotoGP result to date. Dovizioso had to settle for fourth place in the end, succumbing to a marauding Marc Marquez in the final two laps. Nicky Hayden made it a respectable day out for Ducati, finishing in fifth place ahead of Alvaro Bautista and a disappointed Jorge Lorenzo.

The top ten was rounded out by Michele Pirro, Bradley Smith and Stefan Bradl, the LCR Honda rider did well to rejoin proceedings after yet another crash. Australian Brian Staring was the first of the crashers in the slippery conditions while Randy DePuniet also crashed out of his home grand prix. Valentino Rossi toppled out of fourth place as the track started drying out, but he also managed to rejoin and finish in twelfth place.

Lucas Pesek, Claudio Corti and Yonny Hernandez all retired from the race.

Comments

Not bad for a wet race, though Pedrosa would have cleared off a lot earlier if not for his slight mistakes.

I was really rooting for Dovi to get that podium, as usual he was fighting and giving everything he had. Marquez again impresses, I thought he was gonna suffer the same fate as Lorenzo halfway through.

Oh and Crutchlow does as he now seems to be expected to do, but still deserves a mention for a great ride.

Not pushing too hard and binning a podium chance in tricky conditions.

Pass and gap Rossi at one of his best circuits.

Finish in front of both works Yamahas and a works Repsol ridden by a charging Marquez.

And all this with a cracked tibia and beaten up from three big crashes in the last two weeks?

Credit where credit is due I think that is far better than expected, and the riding does much better talking to justify a works ride for next season, wherever that may be.

Great ride Cal, fast, smooth, no mistakes, clean decisive passing even with a bike that had a clear disadvantage on acceleration, if I were you I'd settle for nothing less than a works RCV, the way Bradl is performing there might be one going spare next year.

I just knew valentino was either going to bin it or get binned, there was no way he could settled for third or fourth and let crutchlow and a ducati beat him today. Perhaps he has had his day after all. Anyway, doesn't Pedrosa look good again this year. He certainly deserves a championship to his name and I hope he's able to stretch his lead over the next few races. As for Marquez, you can't help but be blown away. Another 5 laps and I swear he'd have been in for a victory. Shame dovi ultimately only came in 1 place ahead of his team-mate, the history books will make that look like a totally unremarkable acheivement for him in contrast to the reality. Though both he and Cal were helped slightly (in my view) by Lorenzo having such a shocker.

Indeed a great race to watch, lots of passes and turning tables.. Dani, Marquez, Rossi and Bradl all took risks for going fast and despite going off the track they gave us a great show (albeit the last two payed a price for it).
Cal made no mistakes and went to a super deserved second place.
Marquez truly impressed me. I have a feeling that this is the last year for everyone else. If he can achieve those results with no experience/data on running on this track+in the wet it will be doom and gloom for the others soon.
Frankly I had higher expectation for Espargaro in the wet. I am sure he gave his best, just that CRT could be closer in these conditions.
Let's hope the show keeps going even in the dry!

First, thrilled for Dani to put 99 further behind him and stunned by his race today. Perhaps I still think of Sachsenring in 2008 whenever he's upfront in the rain, half expecting him to be sliding off, so hats off to his training and even to Puig for the idea of riding on a sandy track to mimic the wet. I hope he gets a WC.

Second, on Cal, I am not sure how he can ride a bike with balls as big as his, but he is an inspiration for me. His willingness to get up time and again and forget about the last lap is awesome. There are other riders in the paddock that would do well to take a page or two from his book. Probably over-thinking this, but I see him in his trailer each morning looking in the mirror repeating to himself "there is no one better." Of course there are, but think of his learning curve these past few years. I am glad to see his weighty chip on his shoulder did not ruin his race.

Third, on JL, I wonder if Marquez is living rent free in Lorenzo's head. Two 3rd places and now a Top 10. I understand today's conditions were challenging but I think he's rattled.

On #93, holy smokes. This kid used first half race distance as a training session spending more time off track than on and then found his limit and pace and proceeded to run down the field. I think Julian Ryder said on Dean Adam's site, or Dean wrote that we are lucky to be watching racing at a time like this and that we were here for the start of his career.

Lastly, on Vale, I think it time Valentino hang up his leathers. Maybe Ducati gave him the cover he needed while the rest of the field reached and surpassed the bar he set for so long in the premier class? He is a living lengend that rewrote the history books, kept this series afloat through awful 800 period and generally gave me a reason to get up early on Sundays. Who knows, maybe it's the circle of life - his willingness to stay on until 93 arrived- but I just don't see him improving. Can you look at him and Cal and say they have same level of intensity, drive, focus, whatever? I know VR was always a cool operator so that is an unfair question but it begs questioning.

Marquez looked like a different rider at the end of the race compared to the start. His learning curve is frightening.

Crutchlow's second place finish is good but I'm more impressed that he made no mistakes under incredible pressure (and injured) in the wet at his team's home race, even responding to Marquez at the end.

I wonder if the Ducatis have really improved or if it's just a wet race at a track they go well at. I hope it's the former but I'm not putting any money on it.

Everything you say...
Dani's race craft has come on leaps and bounds especially in the wet, i didn't care too much for him in the past but with rides like the 2nd half of last year and rides like today he has moved very high up my estimations of him as a racer.
I feel Jorge has been very rattled by Marc's meteoric rise to prominence in the elite class, which is a little strange considering Rossi was the master of mind games etc and could not rattle him in the slightest, but it seems Marc is able to do it, so maybe 7th really was the best he could do today, bad tyre, bad setting, whatever excuse he comes out with, Marc passed him, ran wide and got re-passed by Jorge then got his head down and did it all over again, and then cleared off.
Now, Cal is showing to be a different breed like Marc too! Three hefty crashes in practice/qualifying over two race week ends and also a fracture in his leg still cannot dampen his enthusiasm to prove to the 'Factories' that he is the real deal and given the right tools he will be an even stronger challenger to the big boys.
Now, as much as i admire Valentino for what he has done for what has mainly been a second rate championship the last few years, he really should hang his Dainese & AGV lid up and move over for a.n other rider to have a shot in the limelight. Cal #35 would be mine and most others prime candidate. He really has nothing more to prove to us or himself so he should knock it on the head while he is at the top of his game (well maybe a level or two down now) from what we have known of him pre two years ago. I think it would be better for him and the sport for him to leave sooner rather than later and not end up doing a Doohan etc (retiring through injury) and give the championship time to recover from his leaving. Unfortunately MGP has relied on its golden child for too long and it could end up being damaged (more than what ezpeleta has done already) unless things move on quickly. Rossi will just be a distant beautiful memory for all of us in a very short time once Marquez firmly establishes himself with numerous championships to his name. I feel, if he doesn't hurt himself big time then he will just win everything that is put in front of him. I also feel by the end of this season he will demoralize most of the field with his sheer speed and quick learning.
On a final note, it is great to be able to say 'i will watch that race again' and re-live the great moments in that race which is something none of us have said for a few years of the processional crap we have endured.
Here's looking to the rest of the year of some awesome races........ And then we have it all taken away by ezysplatta & BT vision as of 2014 :(

Easy there. So Rossi fell in a race that he probably couldn't win anyway, but perhaps had a shot at the podium. And now he should retire? Can't see the logic in this one... I see you're probably Cal fans and it's perhaps expected to consider Rossi an obstacle in his factory plans but really, Rossi is 34 and is at least capable of the odd podium. Enjoy him while he's still there. He will retire soon, but calling for it doesn't suit neither his current abilities nor his history. I really think he will know when to retire...

I want him to win and consider myself an enormous fan of his but it is because of all he's accomplished that he should not stay on in mediocrity.
Also, bear in mind that too often super stars of sport can't realize when to stop because they do love to compete. Should Michael Jordan continued to play past his prime for the Wizards? Should Joe Montana gone on to play for the Chiefs? Should Freddie Spencer come out of retirement only to get canned ? Etc.
And you're right, we're probably not there just yet but a few more dnfs and Top 5s are going to see people start asking questions if ge still has "go it"

Not yet at least. Save for Austin he's there or thereabouts. Lets not jump the gun, it feels disrespectful, not just to Rossi, but all these guys (Edwards, Capirex, Checa) that decide to stay even though they know they're past their prime. We, the fans, should support them. Or at least not demand that they retire! And you're highlighting an other issue with Rossi. His previous successes have rendered any result other than victory almost unacceptable by many of his fans. It seems to me that he gets pilloried after races like today's or Jerez because of his outstanding past rather than his quite decent present performance, which is top 5 standards, if not better.

I assure you, it's not Rossi's fans that are calling for his head after 4 races.

Do I believe he is the same rider he was 5 years ago? Probably not, but that is natural and it will come to Lorenzo, it will come to Pedrosa and in the distant future it will come to Marquez. It would have come to Stoner if he hadn't retired... it comes to us all.

Do I believe that he can still win races? Hell yeah... I think Rossi on a bike he feels comfortable on, can beat anyone. Perhaps those days won't be so regular as they used to be, but so what, the guy has nothing to prove. Unless you joined MotoGP in 2006 and never witnessed just how good he truly is/was.

Do I have high expectations because of his history? Yes I do, but even when there is a disappointing result like yesterday in Le Mans, it doesn't matter.

I am a Rossi fan and I will support him until the day he retires. It does not bother me where he finishes, he's brought me so much entertainment throughout the years and we are privileged to have witnessed such a brilliant rider and personality.

The football team I support hasn't won the league for over 20 years, I don't suppor them any less or urge them to quit. Why would it be any different for the rider I support?

This post may be fanatical and appear oblivious to the reality of Rossi's recent results, it is not. I am more than aware of his results, but if we get to see his skill and hunger shine through like in Qatar even once more this season, I think the sport is richer for it.

... with everything you say. Regarding fandom, MSS 58 to whom I was replying, considers himself "an enormous fan of his", but thinks that "[Rossi] should not stay in mediocrity", in his own words. I realize the heat of the moment may have something to do with it, but perhaps some people just feel that way. I respect that opinion but don't agree, mostly because I strongly believe Rossi still has something to offer to ALL fans out there.

@Neuro
Yes agree with you about Rossi but I wouldn't say its Cal fans, more like the same folk that wrote Pedrosa off after Qatar. Vale is still trying to figure a setting on the M1 that he's happy with, but I must admit I'm a little surprised (dismayed?) it's taking so long. I hope Mugello is a turnaround for him. It's just a pity there isn't another works M1 available for Cal now and for next year, as even if a Ducati becomes available I can't see it being a good move.

From what I saw, the race was quite interesting due to the high number of mistakes and/or setup difficulties by basically all riders. Pedrosa won it well, but he too made a few errors which would have been punished in previous years where most races saw at least one alien ride a perfect race with no mistakes. So basically the race was better, because it was worse! :)
Will be interesting to see how both Lorenzo and Rossi bounce back from such poor performances, and every weekend right now is fascinating to watch Marquez' amazing progress - his improvement throughout the race was stunning. If Marquez becomes as good as it seems he will, then I can forsee some extreme whinging on here at the "boring" races coming up in the next few years...
And all the while Pedro is putting together solid weekends and justly leads the title, I really hope he can land the title this year, because as others have said, we are probably in for a Doohan-esque reign from the remarkable Marquez.

Some interesting comments, but I always struggle with those that level silly comments like so and so "should retire", "is finished", "can't compete" or "couldn't possibly win the title". I've heard them directed at Dani, Jorge, Cal, Rossi and others at various times over the years based on a performance in something as small as single race (or even a single test!?). If you've been watching this sport, or nearly any sport really for a decent length of time, you know a surprise can happen at any moment and none of us know what the hell is going to happen next.

"The earth is slow, but the ox is patient", as Buddhists are often wont to say.
The season won't end for a while yet, so let's just keep our powder dry and decide on careers once we've had a chance to evaluate the full gamut of Rossi's slide and Marquez's ascendance (if indeed that's what they turn out to be).

The scary bit is how quickly MM adapts and learns. Dunno if he's really in Jorge's head just yet, let's just see how the champ responds. A wet race is probably not the best barometer.......

It is amusing how one poor race from Lorenzo is quickly interpreted to mean Marc Marquez is getting inside his head. Two weeks ago the same chattering classes were saying the same about Dani Pedrosa, that Marc was getting inside HIS head! Lorenzo's performances these past few years show that he is hardly ever off the podium. He never seems to have a 'bad day' as a rider. So whether it was tyres, the Yamaha not being set-up well enough for a wet race, whatever, it most certainly will not have been that Jorge suddenly had a mental meltdown. Remember (this may be tough for the chatterers), Jorge won this race by almost 10 seconds last year, in the rain. And in that one, Valentino was second (yes, on the Ducati!), with Casey Stoner third. Pedrosa was fourth, nearly 30 seconds from the winner.

Jorge's race time last year was 49m 39.74s. This year Dani did it in 49m 17.707s. I will spell this out for the 'chatterers': Dani completed this year's race a staggering 51 seconds faster than what it took him last year, in almost identical conditions (air temp, track temp, wet track etc.). Lorenzo took six seconds longer to do the 28 laps this year compared with his winning time from 2012. To me that indicates a problem with the bike or tyres.

And let's not forget the ever battling Nicky Hayden. His race time this year would have been good enough to win last year's race. Instead he was fifth. So, even in the wet, the pace this year is faster.